Chicago-Pampered Chef

Ok so I'm going to Chicago next month...18 days actually...and I'm so excited. Pampered Chef schpeel comin' at ya'. I've been with The Pampered Chef for 6 years now. I've taken time off here and there to have children or because I wanted to but, I'm still in business. I love doing it and even though sometimes I think I should quit I just can't leave it alone. It is so much fun. The cooking shows are a blast, I learn a lot from other people and the food is DELICOUS! Our tools really save time in the kitchen so that Mom isn't still in the kitchen while everyone else eats. Plus they products and recipes make cooking so much fun and more of a family affair. My kids love to help me when I use my food chopper, or Salad & Berry Spinner. Plus, I can't help but love helping other people. Moms who have babies that they don't want to leave but, need extra money to help pay the bills. College age folks who want to earn money to pay for college or a mission. I know many ladies and gentleman who are retired and can't work full time jobs but "work" 2 times a week and get paid what they did working 40 hour work weeks. Together. It's a blessing and I'm in a position to offer that to other people. Pampered Chef has done so much for so many! I honestly don't think that it's the answer for everyone but it is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to be successful.

Anyway back to Chicago. This trip is for National Conference. National Conference is where they reveal all the next seasons new products, recipes, specials, and they giveaway a TON of stuff! This time the big thing is they are giving away a CAR!!! Woohoo! I have been one other time but this time I will be equipped with some really fantastic restrants to visit and I'll be going with a very good friend of mine! The reason I'm able to go on this trip is my wonderful husband. Nate gets frequent flier miles because he travels incesantly. He used a bunch of them to fly my friend Tamera and I out to Chicago on a first class flight there and back for FREE!! As if that wasn't enough, he used his hotel bonus points to get us into the Chicago Hilton for FREE!!! Tamera and I get our own beds and Pampered Chef arranges all transportation and most meals. I know I probably embarressed him by posting this but I wanted him and everyone else to know what a great guy he is and how much I appreciate and love him for his unselfish actions. He's also going to be taking care of the kids all week and that in and of itself is huge!! I love him for making this trip possible for me and not making me feel guilty about it at all. In fact he's encouraged me to go. He knows how much it means to me and how often I get to do something like this for myself. He's such a wonderful husband not to mention my very best friend. I love you Babe!

Fresh Strawberry Cake

I am someone who loves to bake, and I have the extra pounds to prove it. I love baking because it's exact. If I just follow the recipe and the instructions the finished product is ALWAYS delicious!! Cooking is difficult for me. I'm not sure why this is except that you have to have a little bit of creativity to do it well. That is what I lack. My talents lie in other areas. That said you have to try this Strawberry Cake. I'll try to post the picture of it but...I make no promises since I haven't figured out how to do that yet.

Recipe

1 pkg. White Cake mix
1 pkg. (3 oz) Strawberry Jello
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1/4 cup water
1 cup mashed fresh strawberries, divided
1 pkg. Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 cups Cool Whip

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Combine cake mix, dry jello mix, and stir to combine. Add eggs, oil, water and 3/4 cup of the strawberries. Beat 30 seconds on low speed, then turn up the mixer to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. (I actually set my timer for this.)

2. Bake cake in 2 8-in cake pans for 30 min. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the cake pan and cool on a wire rack until completely cool.

3. For the frosting: Beat cream cheese until creamy. Gradually beat in sugar. Add drained berries and mix well. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the cool whip and fold in the rest. When frosting 1 cup goes in between the layers.

So very yummy with the fresh berries and everything!! Try it and let me know what you think!!

He did it!

Conner is now pretty well potty trained!! So happy! I didn't think it appropriate to take a picture...but it sure was a monumental occasion! Nate sat outside with him all morning in big boy undies and when he said that he thought he needed a diaper I rushed him to the potty. He wouldn't go. The child held it all night and until lunch time. That's my strong-willed boy! Now that he's got it he's very proud of himself. My friend Heather actually inspired the idea and Nate is a wonderful husband and father and carried it thru. I am one happy Momma!

Friendship

This post is going to be long. I was inspired by a song I heard the other day and I'll quote it for you here:

"Well your friends know what's right and your friends know what's wrong, and your friends all know sometimes it's hard to choose.

But that friend who helps you see where your choices will lead; is the kind of friend you never want to lose.

It's that friend who leads with love doesn't push, doesn't shove, just reminds you of the truth you've always known. Then does more than just talk, takes your hand and starts to walk, by your side along the road that leads back home.

And this friend seems to see all the great things you'll be, even when the things you do might prove them wrong; but he always believes that the reel you he sees is a champion he's simply cheering on.

And the love that you feel from a friend that's this real, is as powerful as anything on earth; for it lifts and it grows and it strengthens as it flows, it's what allows a soul to feel just what their worth.

So many lonely souls are calling, and our brightest stars would not be falling, if only, they had a friend, a real friend.

Everyone hopes to find one true friend whose the kind they can count on for forever and a day. Be that friend be that kind that you prayed you might find, and you will always have a best friend, come what may.



I lost a friendship not so long ago to someone who I thought was my best friend. I cried. Because of the things she said to me, and about me, I wondered if maybe I was really a bad person. I started thinking that I must be someone no one would want to be friends with. It's not the first time I've seriously offended someone without even knowing it. Then I talked to my husband. My wonderful husband! He asked me a question that helped me to put things into perspective. He said, "if she said_____, she really doesn't know you. If she really knew you do you think she would have said those things?"

That question helped me so much. In that moment I knew who my true friend was! Nate and I go back a long time. We dated in high school and wrote through his mission. He and I have always been best friends. No matter what girlfriends came into his life I could count on him to still be my best friend, and even now, almost 15 years later we are still the best of friends. But implied in his question was an understanding that even though I do boneheaded forgetful things, (and he knows that more than anyone) when you love someone you know them and you give them the benefit of the doubt, because we all do and say boneheaded things from time-to-time. Thanks Nate for being a REAL friend! And someone I know I can ALWAYS count on! I love you so much!!

Ethan's story

My beautiful blond baby is 1 today! Birth stories are like badges of honor. Here is Ethan's for those who want to read. for those who don't sorry!!! ;-)

Ethan's birth was fast, and as labors go very easy. Before we knew that Ethan was a boy, I insisted he was a girl. I just knew he was...after all I had a dream about a little girl...and I have woman's intuition on my side. ;-) But there was something complicating the situation, (in my mind) and that was that I KNEW very strongly that Conner and this baby were very close before they came to our family and that they would be close here. They needed to share a room. How would that work with a boy and a girl? At some point I would have to separate them. Well, I'd figure that out later.

Later on we did a 3D ultrasound. The first shot revealed that we indeed were having a boy! I just laughed and said no way!! Nate smiled a smile I'll never forget and then I realized there wouldn't be a problem with the room situation...

Fast forward to the last week of pregnancy. I had a few concerns about the positioning of the baby and whether I would be ok to have him at home as well. Four days after my date I got extremely sick! Dizzy, nauseated, throwing up...crazy sick. I couldn't even move my head, I was running into walls I was miserable! I called my midwife who taught me how to make mint tea. She taught me that the mint relaxes and soothes the stomach and the honey will keep you from throwing up. Your stomach can't throw up honey. The next day was MUCH better and I called my WONDERFUL, FABULOUS, TALENTED, MAGICIAN of a Chiropractor, Dr. Stubblefield and made an appointment thinking maybe my neck was causing the dizziness problems. I went in at about 3 or 4 in the afternoon. He checked me out and told me my neck was out but wanted to see about what he could find out about the baby. After adjusting and checking he told me that Ethan would be born the next day. I laughed on the inside and said, "um.........ok." He said, "I would get everything ready if I were you." He sounded supremely confident to me, I was still laughing on the inside. Everyone was telling me that I wouldn't go past the end of the week...

I went home and told Nate. He was hopeful, he had to leave the next day for a business meeting and didn't want to have to cancel. I went to bed still skeptical. I laid down around 10pm exhausted. Tried to relax but about 15 minutes later I realized why I couldn't. I was having some contractions. Not at all painful or lasting long but enough to annoy me. I mentioned to Nate that I was having them but they were only lasting like 10 seconds...He timed them...I was wrong...45seconds and 7 minutes apart. OK! So we called the midwife Rachel and told her what was going on. She said to call in an hour. I had the feeling that Dr. Stubz was right so I called my mom to come and get the kids. They left and we timed more contractions. Called the midwife because an hour passed and they were 5 minutes apart and lasting for a full minute. That was at 11:15pm or so. They were on their way now. BUT they are an hour away! Midwife arrived at 11:25pm checked me and I was dilated to a 6. I remember thinking something was wrong because I started shaking, and I knew I was in transition. But it was way to fast and I hadn't been in that much pain yet. They prepared my bath water...yes I gave birth in the water...and after 10 minutes of pushing Ethan was born at 12:03am! I went from 6 to baby in 38 short minutes!

Ethan was born weighing in at 9pounds even and had hardly any blond hair. He was sporting a pretty large noggin, 15cm and is the sweetest and most adorable baby! We are so blessed to have him in our family and I can't believe how fast this year has gone!! We love you Ethan!!!

Need a good laugh? Walking Home Story

So I walk my girls to and from school every day. Sometimes even when it's raining, the worst is when it's 100 degrees outside and I'm pushing a stroller and dragging a toddler and a 6 year old. Good exercise though and I do that 3 times a day. Next year that may have to change. Here's why.

One day when walking home my son who is 3 and has never met a stranger said hello to and befriended a very nice older East Indian man. He had a long white beard and doesn't speak a word of English. After my son said Hi! and waved the man stopped and shook his hand and seemed very pleased at my son's apparent outreach of friendship. We walked home and thought nothing of it after that...until about a month later. OH the horror! I was walking with Ethan in the stroller and I saw the man again on a bike with a plastic bag hanging from his handle bars. He stopped his bike, got off, and put his hands up to stop me. He handed me a pomegranate and handed it to me. I thanked him. He took me by the shoulders and pulled me to him trying to kiss me. I turned to try to get back to my stroller but it was too late. He planted something that I'm sure he thought was a kiss on my left cheek, and, because he had no teeth it was something akin to sucking my face!! Eeeeeewwwwwww!!! This happened 3 times, and finally I had to push him pretty hard and almost run away! It really horrifies me to think of it, but I'm able to laugh about it. I have seen him a few times but avoid him and so far, we've not had anymore encounters! Thank goodness school is almost out!! Like I said next year, we may not be walking! That is only one of several very weird things that have happened when walking my kids to or from school!

True story!